Career and Education Opportunities for Audiologists in Essex, Vermont

Many educational and employment opportunities exist for audiologists in the Essex, Vermont area. The national trend for audiologists sees this job pool growing by about 25.0% over the next eight years. In general, audiologists assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders.

The average wage in the general category of Audiology jobs is $26 per hour or $53,535 per year in Vermont, and an average of $27 per hour or $55,586 per year nationwide. Jobs in this field include: speech and hearing clinic director, educational audiologist, and clinical director.

There is one school within twenty-five miles of Essex where you can study to be an audiologist, among fourteen schools of higher education total in the Essex area. Given that the most common education level for audiologists is a Master's degree, you can expect to spend about six years studying to be an audiologist if you already have a high school diploma, or just 2 years starting with a Bachelor's degree.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Audiologist

Audiologist video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, audiologists assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. They also may fit hearing aids and provide auditory training.

Audiologists administer hearing or speech/language evaluations or examinations to patients to collect data on type and degree of impairment, using specialized instruments and electronic apparatus. They also evaluate hearing and speech/language disorders to establish diagnoses and courses of treatment. Equally important, audiologists have to refer clients to additional medical or educational services if needed. They are often called upon to recommend assistive devices in line with clients' needs or nature of impairments. They are expected to maintain client records at all stages, including initial evaluation and discharge. Finally, audiologists formulate and conduct treatment programs for clients' hearing or speech problems, consulting with physicians and other health care personnel as needed.

Every day, audiologists are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. It is also important that they piece together evidence to, in some sense, diagnose what is going on in a situation.

It is important for audiologists to examine and clean patients' ear canals. They are often called upon to monitor clients' progress and discharge them from treatment when goals have been attained. They also participate in conferences or training to update or share knowledge of new hearing or speech disorder treatment methods or technologies. They are sometimes expected to educate and supervise audiology students and health care personnel. Somewhat less frequently, audiologists are also expected to maintain client records at all stages, including initial evaluation and discharge.

They also have to be able to measure noise levels in workplaces and conduct hearing protection programs in industry and communities And finally, they sometimes have to fit and dispense assistive devices.

Like many other jobs, audiologists must have exceptional integrity and have a strong concern for others.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Audiologist Training

University of Vermont - Burlington, VT

University of Vermont, 85 S Prospect St, Burlington, VT 05405-0160. University of Vermont is a large university located in Burlington, Vermont. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 12,800 students and an admission rate of 65%. University of Vermont has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree program in Communication Disorders which graduated one and seven students respectively in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Essex, Vermont

Essex, Vermont photo by Fancy-cats-are-happy-cats

Essex is situated in Chittenden County, Vermont. It has a population of over 19,649, which has grown by 5.5% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Essex, 95, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Essex cost $228,000 on average, which is below the state average. In 2008, six new homes were built in Essex, down from thirteen the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Essex are educational services, health care, and computer and electronic products. For men, it is computer and electronic products, educational services, and construction. The average travel time to work is about 19 minutes. More than 45.6% of Essex residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 17.1%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Essex is 4.8%, which is less than Vermont's average of 5.9%. About 2.6% of Essex's residents are below the poverty line, which is better than the state average.

The percentage of Essex residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.8%, is less than both the national and state average. Federated Church, Covenant Community Church and Essex Alliance Church are among the churches located in Essex. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church.